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Velithaea
The Militarized Communes of Nul'i'Vel'i'thaea * Population: * Capital: Fort Velin * Largest City: Greater Region of Velin * Official Language: Vel'i'shi * National Language: Vel'i'shi * Demonyms: * Noun: Nul'i * Adjective: Nul'i'na * Plural Noun: Nul'ii Etymology The name "Velithaea" is an abbreviated version of a native phrase, "Vel'i'thaea" which translates directly as "World of Home" in the native language. As such, it is clear that the intent was to unify its people behind the idea of "home" rather than to make immortal the name of some noteworthy individual. The standard way to refer to a citizen of Velithaea is as a "Nul'i." Foreigners rarely pronounce this properly, slurring it into "Nully" or "Nulee" and will even occasionally mistakenly use the term "Velithaean." Government High Council * Empress: Edamiel Ravness Velithae XIII * Chief Advisor to the Council: Noradine Lucerne * Chief of War: Solvig Calistrate Oluchi * Chief of Education: Grusik Sorad * Chief of Infrastructure and Engineering: Herman Marias Kari * Chief of Forestry and Agriculture: Raecheal Helios * Chief of Energy Solutions: Melpomene Nico * Chief of Wildlife and Fisheries: Gerhild Linus * Chief of Social Services: Hannah Telesphode Adelaide * Chief of Intelligence and Information Control: Sergius Abeni * Chief of Mining and Heavy Industries: David Kaori Isi * Chief of Justice: Ans Raymonde Jarl Establishment: Refugees from Saryad Union primarily, and other locales across Dorjania and Jayanesia Independence: Circa 1495-1506 AE Currency: Gringen Coins, or Chits Overview Velithaea, formally "The Militarized Communes of Velithaea" commonly called Velithaea, or Velitha '''(by foreigners), is a feudal dictatorship in Northwestern Dorjania. It is bordered on the north-east by the Saryad Socialist States, and Khar to the south-east. Its northern and western borders are coastal regions. Velithaea has an estimated population of 2.8 million people. Velithaea consists of 19 regional territories. Velithaea is a relatively young nation and currently has little notable political presence outside its own borders, with the exception of some small relations with the Saryad Socialist States. These are primarily trade agreements. '''History 1495-1496 - The mass exodus of refugees from the Saryad Socialist States moves west, into politically unclaimed wastelands. Over the next few years and decades, more refugees from other nations, even nations not on the Dorjanian continent, join the growing communities. 1500 - A coalition of mostly tribal communities form an alliance in an effort to link the disparate communities together. The three largest are the Mar'i'na, the Corinth'i'na, and the Nul'vel'in. The Mar'i'na are located along the northwestern coasts, and are viewed as pirates and smugglers. The Corinth'i'na are an organized mining community, with close relations to the SSS. The Nul'vel'in are a former terrorist group which have somehow managed to pull together the most organized government, overseeing the development and well-being of several large communities in the central and western parts of Velithaea. This "Trinity" works together, supporting each other in an effort to reduce reliance on foreign aid. 1506 - The first major factory is built in central Velithaea, adjacent to Corinth'i'na mines. Internal tensions arise over whether or not Corinth'i'na should be selling the majority of its production to the Mar'i'na traders, or to the Saryad Socialist States. The SSS starts to apply pressure on Corinth'i'na operations, in an attempt to gain complete control of the mines and factory. 1507 - The economic tension between Corinth'i'na and Mar'i'na results in violence. The SSS sends a small force to establish military control of the area. In response to this, the Nul'vel'in steps in. Influential leaders from both Corinth'i'na and Mar'i'na are assassinated, and the inbound SSS troops are ambushed. Mines under the SSS troops are filled with explosives and detonated. SSS soldiers who survive and attempt to infiltrate intact mines are met with poison gas and further ambushes. 1508 - The SSS sends in more troops, but meets with similar failures, eventually pulling out and simply watching the region warily. As things settle down, Nul'vel'in leaders ease back on enforcing military law somewhat, and the Trinity resumes its alliance, now possessing a greater grudge against the SSS. 1509 - Reluctantly, the Trinity opens trade with the SSS, exporting steel and rarer ores in exchange for other supplies that Velithaea is still incapable of producing. 1516 - The Trinity, having suffered from the heavy thumb of Nul'vel'in rule, breaks violently. A power struggle ensues over the summer and fall, slowing down in the winter. On New Year's Evening, however, a splinter force of Nul'vel'in rebels, executes a shocking mission. New Year's morning finds every major official and leader involved in the power struggle, as well as those who were simply deemed too corrupt, are found slaughtered. The splinter group addresses the entire nation with its goal to turn Velithaea into a "true nation". 1517 — The splinter group's address is met with overwhelming support. Its willingness to go to extremes in order to do what must be done is questionable, but generally approved, and sets a precedent. On the spring solstice the Militant Refugee State of Velithaea is announced as an independent and functioning nation. The initial government is set up in a feudal manner, with an Advisory Council and an Empress at its top. On this day, the council members are named, and Edamiel Nul'vel'in the First is crowned Empress. Ravness Loxille, the leader of the splinter group which committed the New Year's Revolution, is made Chief Adviser to the Council. 1517 — One of the first laws put in place is the aptly named Military Law. This places the nation of Velithaea under military law, but also requires that each citizen be a member of the military, regardless of clan affiliation. This rebalanced the physical power between the clans, ensures that the nation is able to defend itself, and also eliminates the need for a police force (and also avoids the inherent complexities of hosting a separate physical authority like that). 1518 — A pair of manufactories geared towards arms production are built in separate locations. These are used to arm the new formal military, and arms are also sold to the SSS as part of another trade agreement in exchange for materials and seeds necessary to build subterranean, hydroponic farms. This is referred to as the great "Pellet Exchange" or the "Bullets for Seeds" program. 1519 — Plans for a national subway rail system and numerous geothermal power plants are developed. This is collectively known as the Wyrm Rail plan. 1522 — mass construction of fisheries in coastal communities commences, coinciding with construction of the Wyrm Rail. Expanding cities are redesigned, following a beehive-like appearance. Cities cease to become mere cave systems, and have layered lattices and supports designed to cope with seismic activity and the weight of structures. Every major city includes large hydroponic gardens and fisheries. A special ventilation system is introduced which releases stale air into the surface atmosphere while pulling clean air back down underground. This causes a unique weather phenomena. As hot steam mixes with the blizzards on the surface, roiling mists of boiling steam and ice particles cover large swaths of the surface, making it even more dangerous to be above ground. This also impedes the attempts of satellite imaging to identify human heat sources, and the location of cities. 1524 — Due to cultural mixing of refugees, and the desire to become a unique entity as a nation, the Social Services department creates a Language Board, which produces a language unique to Velithaea, borrowing bits and pieces from a variety of human languages to do so. The result is a very orderly language that is also heavily dependent on abstract, colloquial ideas. For example, the name "Velithaea", actually spelled "Vel'i'thaea", means "World of Home" and refers primarily to the people that make up the nation. Geologically, "Nul'i'vel'i'thaea" refers to the geopolitical boundaries that define the space and territory of Velithaea. 1526 — the Nul'i'na language, called Vel'i'shi, is set down formally as a new language, and adopted by the state. 1536 — The Wyrm Rail system is formally completed, but due to a rapidly expanding population, construction continues on more extensive subways, new cities, and a national aqueduct system. 1545 — The cultural identity, being so heavily militant by any standards, results in a notable rise in juvenile delinquency. This is most apparent when looking at "gang" demographics. Nearly 20 percent of people between the ages of nine and 28 are involved directly in gang activities. After a string of several large-scale incidents—fights where more than forty people were heavily injured or killed—in the capitol alone, Empress Edamiel enacts a radical new plan. Using the capitol as a testing ground for the plan, the age of active military service is reduced, with students beginning training as early as elementary school. A Student Soldier Service is created, using skilled and exemplary students as authority figures tasked with policing their peers. Allowed to carry and use weapons at their discretion, these Student Soldiers are another example of Nul'i'na extremism. The project is a success, reducing the juvenile crime rate by 83% in only three years, and soon becomes a national program. As the program is tweaked and made permanent, it must be noted that twelve-year-olds are given combat knives to carry and use as necessary, which was a cause for concern to its neighboring countries. The program also aims to instill a fiercely loyal patriotism, which some described as a form of brainwashing. In the following years, there is a notable decline in child-slave trafficking. 1553 — The Student Soldier program is further refined, and various branches appear, geared towards each of the military branches. The casualty rate for training exercises is unusually high for all branches, especially amongst the army branch's programs. Army training exercises which take place during one's latter teenaged years have a casualty rate of 29.8%. Nul'vel'in clan students make up half of that number, as the clan enforces harsher training regimens of its own. space for NC incidents 1603 — Ravness Loxille formally resigns from the office of Empress, wishing to return to her lesser role as Adviser to the Council. She does so, and the new empress, Narine K'rona, the current head of the Corinth'i'na clan, and Chief of Infrastructure and Engineering, accepts coronation. For the next fifteen years, Narine K'rona places Velithaea's focus on improving city infrastructure, expanding the Wyrm Rail system, adding a modern aqueduct system to coincide with the Wyrm Rail system, establishing numerous wind farms off the coast, as well as the creation of larger factories for the construction of new tanks, naval ships, and military technologies. This is a huge economical boost, and brings the material value of the Vel'i'na military to par. 1608 — Having accomplished what she set out to do, Narine steps down as Empress and remains solely as Chief of Infrastructure and Engineering. 1630 — A decision to become more involved in international politics, while still refusing to establish internal or external embassies, results in a subversive methodology. Velithaea begins selling arms internationally, and also sells its "violent conflict resolution services" by contract to anyone capable of paying the price. Its "nameless soldiers" (each of them operates under the alias "Null") develop a reputation for mercilessness and efficiency, taking a spot amongst the world's best special services, especially its snipers. Numerous private contracts with more illicit organizations are also formed, for lesser contracts such as smuggling and assassinations. 1633 — It comes to light that certain smuggling operations in the Jayanesian straits involve a great deal of child-slave trading. Velithaea appears heavily involved, as numerous ships tied to the Vel'i'na navy are seen in the region. In reality, Velithaea is trying to take over the highest rings of the trade, and its purchases tend to end up back in Velithaea, where "victims" are secretly given new identities, homes, and citizenship. An interesting social result of this influx of "slaves" is its result on fashion in Velithaea. As partial nudity is a common thing, and these "slaves" tend to arrive with strange bodily modifications, a growing trend is to have one's upper or lower back both tattooed and pierced with numerous studs and gemstones, creating some unusual body art. Given that much of Velithaea consists of mining communities, gemstones are relatively cheap and easy to acquire. Geography Velithaea is oddly textured, with a massive, fractured plateau to the south west. The rest of the nation is mountainous, and can generally be split into two groups: the Fangs, a short yet steep mountain range that runs along the coast to the west, and the Bumps, erratic mountains and hills of various sizes that cover the northern half of the land. The only source of natural water inland are mineral-heavy water springs, usually brought forth via geysers. These waters are not safe for drinking without purification, but can support some plant life. Overall, Velithaea is a broken wasteland, barely capable of sustaining life due to its dangerous weather and lack of soft ground suitable for plants. The plateaus of the southern region are the exception, bridging the gap between tundra and some sparse forests. Climate The climate in Velithaea is nothing less than whipping winds accompanying unpredictable blizzards, leaving the land in a blanket of white. Volcanic activity can be noted in some regions by the peculiar, heavy fogs and mists that roll across the surface. These mists are a deadly mixture of boiling and freezing water particles, where geysers shoot hot steam into blizzards. These are the primary reasons the Nul'ii have established their cities underground, or in durable shelters. Underground is typically warmer than above ground, and in some places is as hot and humid as a jungle or rainforest. With careful ventilation shafts and engineering projects, the warm, mineral rich caves have proved to be very hospitable for purposes of farming, though UV lights need to installed. Environment .... Wildlife Man-made fisheries and hydroponic gardens make up more than 97% of the wildlife in Velithaea. The only true wildlife consists of some migratory birds and some other animals that wander north into Velithaea. These animals rarely go any farther than the southern plateau, as the rest of Velithaea is too inhospitable and dangerous. Demographics The Nul'ii are a strange mixture of people. As a "holy land" for refugees, it sports genetic heritages and cultural oddities from various cultures, primarily those of Dorjanian and Jayanesian take. As a nation, however, Velithaea revolves around a disparate set of ideologies unrelated to the cultures its people came from. Self-sufficiency and the ability to defend one's self and community are the two most valued attributes. All citizens are required to have a productive job, such as working in the gardens or fisheries that the nation depends on to survive, the mining industry which makes up the backbone of the economy, or active military service. Nul'ii are raised and bred to be both physically and mentally capable—the public school system lasts until a person is twenty years old, and eases them right into a suitable profession. Socially, the Nul'ii are diverse and mostly uninhibited. Indoors, away from the threat of weather, it is not a strange sight to see people wearing next to no clothing, and the only laws against nudity require one's lower body genitalia to be covered. Leisure activities range from martial arts competitions to snowboarding to stunt-bike racing, and everything in between. Favored activities tend to be adrenaline-filled and quite dangerous. A fashion movement that began circa 1603 AE along the coastal communes that spread like wildfire and is still present are "gem-toos", the art of tattooing a body by embedding mosaics of expensive gemstones in one's flesh. This is especially present in people with gang affiliations and in certain “noble” bloodlines, as a mark of one's heritage. The "nightlife" look overlays most of the ambiance in the cities, with proliferate use of phosphorous paints, black-lights, and LED lighting systems. Of particular note is the fact that all citizens are members of the Armed Forces, and the vast majority of the population possesses and carries combat knives and firearms. Rather than a police force, citizens deal with incidents as a community, usually with judicial violence. If necessary, the military's thumb will be applied. As that tends to be even more brutal and heavy-handed, resolutions without government involvement are typically preferred. Language Vel'i'shi is a compound language that began as multilingual jargon as various ethnic groups in the early years of Velithaea learned to communicate with each other. Upon Velithaea's unification as a national entity, it was decided by the Council that Velithaea should have an official language of its own. Rather than attempt to choose one of the available languages at the expense of others, it was decided to take colloquial jargon and useful, aesthetically pleasing bits from a variety of the languages present at the time. The Department of Education formed a linguistics team to set down the rules of grammar and vocabulary. Once complete, Vel'i'shi was pushed into the educational system, enabling the newer generations to more easily learn and identify with it. Older generations had some difficulties, but as the language was already similar to the multilingual jargon present, previous languages became “obsolete” within a matter of a few decades. Currently, there are many citizens capable of speaking other languages, but no language except for Vel'i'shi is formally acknowledged within the nation. Vel'i'shi is unique in that its written form is similar to kanji in appearance, but is rigid in its adherence to its vocal definitions. Grammatically, the parts of a “sentence” become a single word in Vel'i'shi, as the glyphs for various “words” are connected by “particles”, which determine the relationship between ideas. Written in a romanized form, Vel'i'shi appears as long strings of words with apostrophes indicating separation of glyphs and spaces indicating the end of entire sentences. Also, while Vel'i'shi is written left to right from top to bottom in its romanization for convenience, in its glyph state it is written top to bottom from left to right. Of interesting note is that a more artistic form of written Vel'i'shi uses a circular structure. Especially present in written poetry, the glyphs are arranged to form circular spirals that are read counter-clockwise. Whether it is read going into or out of the spiral varies, however, and a significant portion of the writing community have dedicated themselves to writing verses capable of being read in both directions. Largest Cities # Greater Area of Velin (Fort Velin and surrounding communities), often referred to as "GRAVE" by foreigners # Ghurka (mining community) # Marinam (coastal fishing/shipping city) # Akloa (city in the plateau which revolves around stadiums, casinos, clubs, and other tourist attractions) Government Velithaea's government is organized in a feudal sense, with various communities and areas being under the control of authority figures who answer only to the Advisory Council, which in turn answers only to the Empress. It should be noted that while it is deemed a matriarchy, new "empresses" are not required to be blood related to previous empresses. Nor are they required to be female, but there has yet to be a male in the position. Council members nominate candidates, in a secret meeting that takes place within sealed council chambers. There, the group is not allowed to leave or be interrupted until they have unanimously agreed upon a successor, after which it is announced to the nation at large. Most frequently the chosen empress has been a member of the council, but on one occasion the successor was, unexpectedly to all, an orphan. The council never explained the reasoning to this choice, but it is suggested that the choice was intended solely to prevent certain influential parties within the government from getting out of hand. Foreign Relations and Military Velithaea's diplomatic endeavors come in two shades: trade agreements, and military action. Velithaea refuses to allow embassies, nor to establish any, and avoids making political alliances. Despite this attitude, Velithaea is more than willing to sell its armed services to foreign conflicts, and pays close attention to foreign political and military policies. Perhaps most of all, Velithaea finds itself in frequent communication with an array of militant organizations and black marketeers worldwide. This last fact is well known to the general public, although officials have thus far declined to comment on such proceedings in any way. Military information is highly classified, though it is a well known fact that every citizen of Velithaea is either an active or reserve member of a branch of the armed forces, including children as soon as they have reached the age of six. This early training and indoctrination is incorporated into the educational system. Velithaea's military is divided into three branches: the army, the navy, and the guard. The guard is the largest, demographically, being almost entirely made of the reserve forces of those citizens who are not active duty. The navy is second in size, but the most expensive to maintain as it encompasses naval vessels and aircraft, as well as operations of offshore oil drilling platforms. The army is the smallest force, consisting entirely of active duty soldiers, armored regiments, and a variety of special operations units. When Velithaea takes part in foreign conflicts, the majority of its involvement is the use of naval warships and submarines, with attachments from the army. The guard is devoted to homeland security and rarely is called elsewhere. Velithaea does not have an official air force branch, as the weather over Velithaea hardly allows for the use of aircraft. However, both the army and the navy have invested in aerotechnology. The extent of Velithaea's air capabilities is relatively untested, but the carrier ship RVN Cactuar that patrols along the Dorjanian coasts has been seen launching stealth-equipped bombers along with drones. The army is less invested in aerotechnologies, but makes frequent use of VTOL transports and gunships. Culture ...... Infrastructure In the southern regions, numerous agriculture-based townships and plantations lay scattered across the plateaus. As the climate is still cold and snowy, these communities are known for their numerous greenhouses, built solidly enough to withstand frequent blizzards. The Wyrm rail system connects the majority of these communities, transporting foodstuffs to the northern cities. With the southern regions as the exception to the rule, most of Velithaea's cities and towns exist underground. In its early years, refugees made their homes in natural caverns, the only durable shelter against Velithaea's extreme weather patterns. Over time, these were expanded, taking over space left by emptied out mining tunnels and other fissures in the ground. Some areas appear rather primal, looking no fancier than the caves that they are, but the city hubs have grown into layered lattices of steel and stone constructions. As population growth demands more space, the cities dig outwards and downwards, replaces enormous sections of earth with buildings and immense steel pillars. Metal ores and stone are Velithaea's greatest resources, allowing for a booming industrial economy. While the locations are kept a secret by the Mining and Heavy Industries Department, Velithaea possesses several gem mines with high yields. While these have the potential to influence international trading, Velithaea has preferred to keep its gems at home. Just as ores are refined within Velithaea before going anywhere, gemstone artisans and jewelers within Velithaea hold a monopoly over its gems. Energy While Velithaea has little to speak of in oil or coal deposits, several offshore oil drilling platforms operated by the navy provide the majority of Velithaea's fuel sources. The primary source of electrical power, however, comes from hydro-electric power plants along the coast, which utilize tidal movements and artificial canals. Numerous offshore wind farms exist as well, and more are under construction. The Energy Solutions department is currently experimenting with solar plants. There is much debate as to whether these are worth the cost of research and development due to the region's general weather patterns. Velithaea is under the veil of clouds and blizzards approximately 80% of the year, with lulls during the midsummer months. Supporters of the plan to develop solar plants are looking into the feasibility of using raft-like platforms attached to Vel'i'na oil rigs, as the trade winds over the oceans enable clearer skies. Power lines connect cities and large towns following the web of subways for convenient access. Outlying communities rely on oil-burning generators. Wood is not an easily available commodity, and thus is rarely used except as a construction material. Some small forests in the southern communes are the primary source of wood, although the timber industry is heavily restricted in the interests of maintaining the environment. Natural gas is the second most used fuel, and serves as one of Velithaea's primary imports.Category:NationsCategory:Nation